Frequently Asked QuestionsRideShare
1. Who uses RideShare? Students, volunteers, and employees, anyone with a regular schedule commuting to Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties. If you are commuting outside Southeast Michigan, locate the local RideShare office in your area.
2. How are carpools arranged? Carpools can be arranged in any of the following ways:
- One person can drive, while the passengers contribute only for gas and parking
- Participants may alternate driving and not exchange money.
- The carpool driver may pick up passengers at their homes, or they may meet at a central location like a Park & Ride Lot. Carpools can and do include family members.
- Collectively, the carpool participants make up the rules and determine the schedule.
A carpool can consist of co-workers, neighbors, friends, spouses, family members, roommates, or someone you just met through the RideShare database. Pooling doesn’t require a commitment of five days a week. It can be once a week, every other week, or whatever works with your schedule.
3. How do I benefit from RideShare? According to the AAA, commuters driving alone 25 miles to work spend about $5,800 per year. This includes gas, maintenance, taxes, depreciation, and finance costs. The same commuter saves 50 percent of these costs by carpooling with just one other person.
4. What is the difference between carpooling and vanpooling? Carpooling is riding with more than one person using your personal vehicle. Vanpooling is similar to carpooling except the vehicle is a van and the costs are significantly reduced due to the number of people sharing the ride.
5. How do I get started? When you use our Ridematching Registration Form to find a carpool partner, we will send you a match list containing the names of commuters with a similar commute to yours.
6. No luck with your list? Many new commuters are added to our database each month. Just call us and ask for a new match list. Also check out other transportation options.
7. What if I need a ride home for an emergency? The Guaranteed Ride Home Program provides you with a ride home in the event of an emergency up to six times per year. Even if you didn’t find your carpool partners through our RideShare database, you are still eligible for Guaranteed Ride Home.
8. How much does this service cost? It’s FREE!